THE CALL TO FIGHT
Judges 6:25-32
INTRODUCTION
What leads
up to the text is important to understand Gideon’s call.
The nation
of Israel was in sin. They worshipped Baal and Asherah.
Baal was the
chief male god. Asherah was the chief goddess.
Worship
included child sacrifice usually the firstborn male child,
And sexual
rituals.
Because of
their worship of idol gods, the Lord gave Israel over to
Midianites,
who destroyed their crops and took their livestock.
Israel was
left with nothing to eat. The Israelite hid in caves to
Protect
themselves from the Midianites.
Israel cried
out to the Lord and He sent an angel to call Gideon to fight
The
Midianites,
BUILD AN
ALTAR TO MAKE A SACRIFICE TO THE LORD
V:25 That
night the Lord said to Gideon, "Take the second bull from your father's
herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father's altar to Baal and
cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 26 Then build an altar to the
Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully.
Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of
the Asherah pole you cut down."
A. We all have a tendency to put more emphasis
on our own goals and aspirations than keeping God’s commands. That tendance
leads us to
Idol worship.
1. When we find ourselves making excuses
for not studying God’s
Word, not attending Bible
Study or worship services, weather.
By zoom are in person, we
are headed into idol worship,
2. Anything that puts God second is idol
worship.
B. The nation of Israel was accustomed
to the worship of idol gods
From their time of slavery in Egypt.
1. They brought the desire to worship
idols into the promised land.
2. In disobedience to God’s commands,
they began the worship
The idol gods of the Phoenicians;
Baal and Asherah.
C. To get us back on the right track,
God designs punishment to
Force us to call on Him.
1. Because of the severe punishment of
the Midianites, God heard
The cry of the Israelites
and called Gideon to battle the enemy.
D. The first step in our recovery is to
realize our sin and make a
Sacrificial offering to the Lord,
1. The second step is to tear down any
alters we have built up in our
Minds that hinder our
worship of God.
2. We must move God into the first place.
3. Worship starts at home, not in the
church walls.
4. We get up in the morning
5. We have make a decision to keep God
First.
6. Out of the heart flows the issues of
life.
7. Keeping God first is an ongoing personal
task
8. The third step in keeping God first
is to study the Word of God.
9. Reading your Bible is direct
communication with God.
10.. The fourth step in keeping God
first is to act on the directions
Of the Word.
E. Having heard the Word Gideon tore
down the altars of Baal and
Asherah.
1. Gideon built an altar and made a sacrifice
to the Lord.
a. Gideon used the wood from the Baal altar
as fuel
For God’s sacrifice.
b. It is important that we destroy all
the elements of our
Idol worship from our
lives.
c. The altar for the Lord should be
built in the highest place
In your heart.
It should be carefully
constructed on the Word of God
So you will know its significance
in your life.
2. When you sacrifice to the Lord, don’t
bring Him your
Leftovers.
3. Gideon sacrificed a bull. The bull is
very important in
Producing more cows.
4. Watch this; the nation was already
suffering because the
Midianites raided their
livestock.
5. When you sacrifice to God is your
best, He gives you what’s best
For you.
WASTE NO
TIME, FOLLOW GOD IMMEDIATELY
V:27 So
Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did
it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father's
household and the people of the town.
28 Early the
next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that
the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had
been cut down. In their place, a new altar had been built, and on it were the
remains of the bull that had been sacrificed. 29 The people said to each other,
"Who did this?" And after asking around and making a careful search,
they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash.
A. Whenever you on a mission from God
that goes against the
Desires and customs of others, you will run into opposition.
1. You don’t need crowd approval to follow
God’s commands.
2. It was a good idea to execute God’s
command at night, out
Of the sight of the Baal
worshippers.
3. Sometimes fear causes us to take a
different path to get
The job done.
4. Gideon faced opposition from his
family and the town.
B. Once the job of tearing the altar to
Baal and Asherah was
Done and the altar the God was erected, the opposition
Could see their sin.
1. Certainly, the people would find out who
tore down their altar
To Baal, but they would
also be reminded of the true and
Living God they should be
serving.
2. Notice you had a nation of disobedient
people who were
denying the living God despite the hardships
they face
Because of their
disobedience.
3. They were calling on God to help them,
but they didn’t want
To serve Him,4
GOD WILL
COME TO YOUR RESCUE.
V:30
"Bring out your son," the men of the town demanded of Joash. "He
must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah
pole."
31 But Joash
shouted to the mob that confronted him, "Why are you defending Baal? Will
you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If
Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down
his altar!" 32 From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means
"Let Baal defend himself," because he broke down Baal's altar.
A. When you are serving God, He will
step in and handle situations you
Can’t handle.
1. The mob show up a Gideon father’s
house demanding he be released
To them to be killed.
2. Gideon’s father was a Baal worshipper.
3. When faced with a mob, Gideon’s
father spoke up and quieted
The mob mentality.
a. Do you need to defend Baal?
b. If Baal is god, he will defend
himself.
c. Only a dead god would need a man to
defend him.
d. Wait until morning, the man who
destroyed the
Altar of Baal would die
by the power of Baal.
4. Faced with simple logic the men of
the city was satisfied
To let their idol handle the
situation,
SERVE THE
LORD WITH GLADNESS
Rev. M.
Mitchell
Asst
Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West
Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston,
Texas 77041
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